Valve mechanism for internal combustion engines



Aug. 30, 1932. c. s. HARDMAN VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jun 15, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l \5 6752630222; fwd 74M .Aug. 30, 1932. c. B. HARDMAN VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 15, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ear/mm Penn-V14 v: know: WlazOM #77741 Run? 30, 1932- c. B. HARDMAN VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL'COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 15, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 kwflkrblamlaumls men: '15 IMLF Cm/vx swnrrarszu Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UITED STATES PATENT GFFI "CORNELIUS B. HARDMAN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed June 15, 1928. Serial No. 285,569.

"chargeof the fuel and exhaust gases into and from the cylinder structure of the engine.

It is a. primary object of the present invention to provide a valve mechanism of simple and improved construction, embodying few working parts which, under conditions of operation, are not likely to become. out of order, to be retarded in their operation by carbon deposit-s and to require but a minimum of attention.

Another object of the invention rests in the provision of the valve mechanism wherein a singlepoppet type valve is employed to control the admission of the fuel charge into and L the exhaust of the burned gases from the head of the engine cylinder, and wherein is provided in connection with said valve a rotary distributor, which is constructed. and operated to admit of the flow of the incoming fuel charge from the carburetor to the cylinder by way of the poppet valve and to also admit of the discharge of the exhaust or burnt gases by way of the same poppet valve to the exhaust line of the engine.

Another object of the invention resides in so placing and constructing the distributor that it may be used to regulate the admission and exhaust of gases to and from a pair of ad jacent but operatively independent engine cylinders, to the end of simplifying the construction of the valve mechanism and reduc-' ing its number of parts to a minimum.

It is another object of the invention to provide a valve mechanism which will permit of the use in the engine of a motor vehicle of fuels containing hydrocarbons heavier than those of motor fuel or gasoline, and to permit these lower priced heavier fuels to be used successfully in the operation of an internal combustion engine standard with respect to compression ratios and R. P. M., this result being primarily obtained by the provision of the single poppet valve, which under the influence' of the heated exhaust gases, becomes 5 quite hot while in operation so as to heat and completely vaporize or gasify'the incoming fuel charge. This arrangement is such that the temperature of the primary poppet valve constantly fluctuates: First, it is heated by the outgoing exhaust gases and then it is immediately cooled by the incoming fresh fuel gases, which reduces the temperature of the valve and prevents its overheating by reason of sustained or continuing exhaust operations. However, in cooling the valvea part to a part of its heat is abstracted by the incoming fuel charge, which completely vaporizes or gasifies such fuel charge and reduces it to a condition where it may be so consumed upon'firing'and in such a manner as to pre vent knock or detonation and to provide for a smooth engine operation.

Other objects rest in the provision of means whereby the rotatable distributing valve may operate freely and without undue friction: And the provision of means for positively obtaining the primary valve in an open and operative gear during both the exhaust and intake strokes of the engine piston; and constructing the distributor so as to space the intake and exhaust ports or passages provided therein so that the exhaust gas does not 'come into contact at any point in the sleeve valve mechanism with the fresh intake gases: And the provision of means forsecuring efficient heat radiation from the primary valve and other advantages and features hereinafter set forth in detail.

With'these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter to be fully described and pointed out in the appended claim. l

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a view in vertical section taken through the internal combustion engine and disclosing the valve mechanism comprising the present invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the engine with its cylinder head removed,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the engine on the line 33 of Figure 1,

' Figure4 isan enlarged vertical sectional acentralor'axle exhaust passageway 21, said view taken through the distributor and aspassageways being maintained independ-fl isociated parts, I

Figure; 5 is a 5 the line 5-5 0f Figure 4, l

Each of the distributor sis mounted Figure 6 1s a diagrammatic VlGW disclosgases.

I ent and rotatably separate so thatthe intake honzontalsectmnal View on gases do not come 1nto'oontact with exhaust a o for rotation about a vertical axis andis aringthe tilning ofthe cranla-shaft With re-' ranged Within a ell or socket 22; formed "speottothe intake'stroke alone, inone side of-the cylinder"block} The dis- Figure 7 is a similar view showing -the---tributor is adapted to rotate freely Within timing of the crank shaft with, respect to, the Well or 'socket v22 andis'but slightly the exhaust stroke alone, spa'ced' f'roifithe Walls of thelatter to pro- Figure 8;1s .a;v1evv similar to-that of-F ig videworkingclearances. Each ofthe disure 4 and shows more fully the construction tributors is rotated by means of a-vertieal of'tlie valve chambers in theicy-lindenhead Y shaft ;28, suitablymounted for rotation in.

of the engine. i a connection With bearings 24 formed With the *Iiithe'specifioeinbodinientof the invention block-l4; The upper end ozfige'ach shaft 23 is I 1 designates" an int'ernal Combustion engine Whichilcompris'esgenerally-a plurality of ion-- gitudi nal'ly'spabed vertically arranged "cylin' uers 2;- in which-are slidably mounted; as usual, i pistoiisig whi'ch are united-With a crank f shaft s by ineans of the customary connectii uniform rotation, onfthe part oil: the sleeve 5? L The crank 'sliaft ispr-ovided vvith- "and the -s'haft. i lie i-ower enda'ofi each of a timing gear sywhieh meshes witha-larger the shafts 23 is} provided Lvvith a bevelled gear 7*; tl1e latter-being{carried by a eam 'g'earQZ or its'e'quivalentwhich ineshesvvith I shaf-t 8; suitably mounted-forrotation in a 'corresponding'i gear '28; fixed onzthegcain Connection- *vvitli bearings termed Wltl'l the shaft 8 itivill ems be seen thatvthe dfistrib crank casestructure-9 oftheengine; inutor sleevefiandithe poppeta-avalvesnareasyn- 3i) The 'sliaf t 8* iswprovided" at intervals chronously operated inprope'rlytin ed ordf provided in the lower partfo'fi: 'e'aohdistrib shaft being provided with a1 nut orith'e' 5 like I to frictionall y unite sa d Sle'V8-)Wltl1 l3l16 ranged as to engage vvith theheaded-lower P11 EI ItGI lIIgLOHBFSldQ of the leyli-ndenrblockends o-f a' plurality of valve stems; 1*1, -vvhich 14' and communicating with-:thevlowen part seems at heir up er ends --are" provided 'vvith of eaclr'of the Wells on sockets2 22zislaliuel inoppet -valves -12;and having -one' of sucl'iiiirtake'rconduit 29;;adapted to he conneoted with "valves for each-e linder of the; engine and a canburetor or the like, not; shown. iiThe this siiigle valve is 'adapte'd 'to control; in sintake passage 20in said distributonisleeve 'fcoifriectioii vvith other assooiated-n1echanis1n, is ins open' communication: at the' =botto1n ""--both= 1the floyv of fresh gas into and'the dis thereof with-the intake'condu-ifl29 and the ii charge 6f the burned ore xhau stgases iron-1 *outer'wal-l ofeach sl'eeve' 19 :lSiPI'OVlC lGdYW'ltl'l the cylinders 2. Eacho -the Valves '12 is airintaheportgO; sozdisposed"that-Wheruthe adaptedao engagewith a valveseat l3' -which '1 'valve parts are situated, as shown in,Fi'gure deemed the cylinder block 14L to-oneside 4, threr'porit' 3O zvvill -establish'iopen communiefi'e aoliof the cy li ncler's 2: The valv'e'st'en1s 'lopeiateg as-usual, in vertical bearingspro- 29, through the well or socket'22,-thence into vidd' in the block 14 and-may be providedvthe intakejaassa'geway 20 of thesjdis'tributor ivvifih eoll ars o'r' washers 1'5 WithWhiCl1'-6Il=."i*SleV6 andithrough the port 30 nanfd-r thence gage coil springs 1 6, said springs beingsuit 1 around thepopp-etvalve: 12 by-Way-oiiathe fiablv confined in sockets 1'1 provided in the uvalvese'at 31 3 and into :the-cylinderzr proper.

w eylindevblmk so that the'normaltendencywUponflfurther'rotationof 'the camshauit it '301Will'be "i= or' isuc h springs is tomaintai-n the tl'ower fvvill be seen-wthatr-the'intake port *headedfends ofnthei-steinsll in'iconstant' en revolved soas to be:outsof-i-re'g istration -ivith valves 1-2 tonontr lIthe *flovvof gases to and 'ofsthewpiston the-distributor sleeveWil-l be from? the lengine cylinders. iThe cylinden I revolvedsufiiciently sotthat gtherexhaustjport FmfiblOGk'iiS prov-ided with theusual-removable: 82 'formed'therein williregisterwvith the pasl e'c ted forillustrationherein;the numeralreduced and passes through central-bore "tor sleeve 193 15116 reduced upper end ot eachagement vvithithecanis: llg zrequiring, as srthe passage 31 Whichisfomned tlifleieylim' wr -usual; the ordinary-operation of the camz der' bloclr immediatelybelovvfieach. oii'the shaft to synchronously raise and lo'vve'r: the zpoppet'valves 12 Uponthe enhaust stroke shaft and also with 1a 7 key 526, which insures 1 cation for gas flow-from'theiintake-conduit C9 12 of the seats 13 in the?customar v'inanner:

.'1i' 'Betvveeneeachvpair of valves lfZ there provided a'rotary i'distributor 19.:- use ch dis-v -viiftributoricomprisesafinetallie body ofcylin=-- .w-rs-t idr-ical'i formpwhich issuitably: cored to prothe same, {through the exhaust port ,32 into the exhaust-passageway 21' Of; the distributor sleeve-5 This passageway ail-ll gnsi wlth a; verticai exhaust r outlet 3-3 provided in the cylis elevateclwthe; exhaust; gases may sweep :past I 65 I vide an annular intake passage 20::md indejr-nhead 1 8 lof each of} the distribuo mechanisms and these outlets are adapted to communicate with an exhaust conduit of ordinary construction and form.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that by means of the rotary distributing sleeve, both the intake and exhaust gases enter and leave the cyl nder of'an engine by traveling through or past the same poppet valve. The heat of the exhaust gases thoroughly vaporize the incoming fuel, as the latter passes through the heated poppet valve. t will be seen that there exists a constant interchange of heat at this point when the engine is in operation. At first, the exhaust gases leaving the engine heat the primary or poppet valve, but then the valve is immediately cooled by the sweep thereover of the incoming fuel or intake gases, these latter gases being in turn further heated by contact with the primary or poppet valve to thoroughly vaporize the mixture and to provide for efficient combustion thereof. By thus heating and then cooling the poppet valve the latter may be of especially large area without any liability of warping, burning or becoming out of order under ordinary engine operation. This results in increased power as well as lower fuel consumption, and moreover permits-the motor to operate successfully on heavier hydrocarbon oil fractions than is customary to employ in ordinary internal combustion engine designs. It fact, any of the heavier fuels may be used if they possess sufiicient specific gravity to carburet. The single poppet valve for each cylinder is timed to open completely upon the exhaust stroke and does not close until the completion substantially of the intake stroke, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. This feature insures a thorough scavenging or removal of the ex haust gases from the engine cylinder as well as a full and complete intake charge of the fresh fuel gases, as the poppet valve remains closed during compression and firing strokes of the piston. The poppet valve has been designed to hold all cylinder pressures, thereby relieving the distributing sleeve of this function so that the sleeve can be made to operate freely with liberal expansion clearances. The rotary distributing sleeves, of which there are one to each two cylinders, open at positions 20 degrees of crankshaft movement ahead of the poppet valve operation on the exhaust stroke. This permits unrestricted passage of exhaust gases through the sleeve. Further, the sleeve closes the exhaust stroke at a top center position and opens the intake at substantially 5 degrees after such top center position, as will be clearly apparent in the diagrammatic views set fortl in Figures 6 and 7, and at this point the poppet valve is in its fully opened position. The sleeve operates to close the inflow of fuel 20 degrees of crankshaft movement before the poppet valve closes in the intake stroke, thus permitting all intake mixture in valve ports to be drawn into the cylinder. The position of the valve mechanism is such as to provide freedom in the matter of design of the head or upper portion of each combustion chamber, in order to provide various compression ratios and to, also, regulate to a certain degree engine detonation. In the form of combustion chamber disclosed, maximum turbulence is provided in the upper portion of each cylinder structure, which has a marked tendency to reduce detonation when lower grade fuels are utilized.

What is claimed is:

In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder structure including a chamber having a vertically arranged bearing at its lower end which is formed integrally with said structure and spaced from the walls thereof to provide an annular passageway, said passageway being provided with a port connecting the intake of said engine, a vertically disposed rotary valve sleeve positioned within said chamber and provided with an annular passageway in open communication and in alignment with said first named passageway, the passageway in said sleeve being provided with a port registering with ports establishing communication with a pair of cylinders in said engine, said sleeve being also formed with a centrally located passageway independent of the annular passageway in said sleeve, said centrally located passageway being closed at its lower end by the end wall of said sleeve and its upper end open to an exhaust conduit entering the upper part of said chamber, a shaft for effecting the rotation of said sleeve extending through said bearing and having a connection with the end wall of said sleeve, said valve sleeve serving upon rotation to open and close the ports communicating with said cylinder for regulating at timed intervals the intake and exhaust pulsations of said engine.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CORNELIUS B. HARDLIAN. 

